Enjoying the Girls

The girls are doing good. We don't have a lot to report. They continue to get bigger though we don't have updated weights since we have not been to the doctor's office in a while now and are not scheduled to go again until next week. I'm glad the trips to the doctor have slowed down considerably. We are just enjoying life with the girls doing normal everyday things.

Rachel and Haley enjoy rolling over. Whenever we put them on the floor they are rolling. I like this picture of Rachel taking a nap on her tummy.



Rachel giving us a big smile.



Haley giving us a big smile. This was a good time to take pictures of Haley since she pulled her tube out. Unfortunately she still needs the tube since she is still not drinking enough formula to keep her growing. I can't wait for her to get to the point when she doesn't need it.



Haley loves those fingers. She either is sucking her middle fingers or her thumb. Her daddy used to suck his thumb when he was a baby, so I wonder where she got that from.



Just me and the girls.



Rachel and Haley after church. They always look so pretty in their dresses.

Daddy's first Father's Day!!

This has been a great day for me. As today is my first Father's Day. It is such a blessing and honor to be a Father. I have waited a long time for this day. I have truly been blessed by a loving Heavenly Father, for He has allowed my two beautiful Daughters to remain here with us on this earth. I am so grateful to have my sweet little Rachel and Haley. They have blessed my life beyond measure. I love and cherish every second I have with them. They bring such joy and happiness into our home. Being a Father is a sacred privilege to me. I desire to be the best possible Father I can be to my little girls. I know that our Heavenly Father has given me the responsibility along with my wife to raise Rachel and Haley to the best of our ability. To teach them correct principles and to help them become what the Lord wants them to become. I am so grateful also this Father's Day for my own Father. He has been a great example to me through out my life. I love and appreciate him for the sacrifices he has made for me in my life. He has always been there for me. My Dad is a true example of what a Father is. I am so blessed to have him as my Dad. Happy Father's Day Dad. On this Father's Day I also recognize the greatest Father of all our Heavenly Father. He is real, He loves me and all of us more than we can comprehend. I am grateful that He loves me enough to have sent his Holy Son even Jesus Christ to atone for my imperfections, sins and sorrows. He know perfectly what we all go through. He is always there to lift us up when we fall and to love us unconditionally when we don't quite make the best choices. I am so grateful for all that He has given me. I have a beautiful wife and two sweet little girls whom I love and cherish more than any thing else beside the Lord and our Heavenly Father. Happy Father's Day to all who are blessed to be Father's.

Videos and pictures

Its been an uneventful past week. The girls did not have any doctors appointments this past week. Rachel and Haley are doing well. I was able to get some videos, one of which Rachel is rolling over. I also snapped some cute photos. Rachel and Haley are growing up so fast and are continuing to make progress. Both Rachel and Haley are about to get their first tooth. Rachel has one bottom tooth that has just started to break through the gums. Haley is not too far behind. I can see where it will come in when it does. They have both been drooling and biting on anything a lot lately. We figured they were teething.

The Girls together



In this picture, Haley is sucking on Rachel's finger. Rachel didn't seem to mind it at all.



Haley trying rice cereal. It got all over her, including her glasses. She hasn't quite got the hang of eating rice cereal yet.



Haley playing with the spoon.



Rachel and Haley holding hands. How cute!!



Video of Haley playing with Rachel's ear.



As promised here is a video of Rachel rolling over.

A visit from Grandma and Grandpa

Thomas's parents, Grandpa and Grandma Stansel came for a short visit from New Orleans. They have been on a mission in New Orleans and have not seen the girls since December 2009. They were so excited to see them and they had a good visit.



The girls are doing well. Haley saw her eye doctor yesterday. He said that her right eye shows no changes. She still has a lot of scar tissue in her eye. It doesn't seem to be healing. Her doctor said that she may only be able to see shadows. We still have hope and faith that she will be able to see more than just shadows. Only time will tell. Her left eye as we have previously reported is detached and she won't have any vision out of that eye. Since her left eye is detached, it doesn't open as wide as her right eye. Her doctor is recommending a prosthetic eye cover which is like a contact lens that will help her left eye look more natural like her right eye and will help her left eye to grow. Later this month we will go for a consultation for this prosthetic eye cover. Haley seems to be getting closer to getting that tube out of her nose. She is now drinking 4oz bottles (4 bottles/day) during the day, but is still not taking enough to get the tube out completely. She is also still getting viagra (sildenafil) for her pulmonary hypertension every 6 hours. Having the tube makes it much easier to give her that medication. She pulls the tube out almost daily. So when she pulls it out we give her a break from it until she absolutely needs it. At Haley's last pulmonologist appointment the doctor said that her pulmonary hypertension has gotten 50% better and is getting closer to not needing the viagra medication anymore. I look forward to when that will happen.

Daddy and Haley goofing off



Haley touching her toes



Rachel rolled over!!! Unfortunately I didn't have the video camera ready. She rolled over unexpectedly. It always seems to happen like that. There have been many photo opportunities that I have missed due to not having the camera ready. I now have the video camera near by for when she rolls again. I will post the video when I get it.

Rachel and her beautiful blue eyes



Rachel sticking out her tongue. When she gets excited she sticks out her tongue.



Last week we tried letting Rachel taste some applesauce. She seemed to enjoy licking the spoon, but didn't like it when the spoon was put into her mouth. She is going to require a lot of therapy to get her to eat. Since she was not allowed to take anything by mouth for so many months, it will take some time for her to get the hang of eating.

Rachel wanted to hold the spoon as I was giving her tastes of some applesauce. I think most of the applesauce was on her mouth than inside her mouth.

10 Months Old!

The girls, Thomas and I had a good week. We arrived home safely from Austin after the Memorial day weekend. It was good to get out of the house and visit family. We also were able to visit the graveside of Dallin, Ashlyn, Braden and Kaitlyn. We took the girls to see it. It was peaceful and we will always remember and love our little angels.

Together as a family at the graveside of our precious angels



We are also excited that Rachel is off the oxygen!! She passed her oxygen/sleep test! We are so happy to be able to see her cute face without the nasal cannula and tape.

Rachel with no more oxygen/nasal cannula! Yay!!!



The girls are ten months old today. They are growing up so fast. Before we know it they will be 1 years old. We are so thrilled with all that they have accomplished the past ten months. We recently moved them to their cribs in their bedroom. The transition from our room to their room went well. It's so nice to finally see them in their own cribs.

Haley in her crib



Rachel in her crib